How to Clean Ink Off of Dark Brown Leather

Cleaning ink from dark brown leather can be difficult.

If you've ever accidentally swiped a pen over your dark brown leather you know that ink is not easy to remove from leather. If you've just swiped it however, you are in luck, because the sooner you attack a stain the easier it will be to remove. If the ink has pooled and soaked into the leather however, it will be almost impossible to remove. Working with dark brown leather is particularly good for stain removal as most inks are dark and will not appear as easily as it would on a lighter leather.

Things You'll Need

• Cloths
• Rubbing alcohol
• Liquid dish washing soap
• Water
• Suede cleaner and conditioner
• Eraser

Instructions

Smooth Leather

1. Wet the corner of a clean cloth with rubbing alcohol. Dab the cloth over the ink stain. As the ink transfers, wet a different corner of the cloth and dab it over the stain. This will prevent the ink stain from spreading and damaging your dark brown leather.

2. If the stain is not removed, mix one drop of liquid dish washing soap with one cup of water. Wet a corner of a clean cloth and dab it on the ink stain. Continue until the stain is removed.

3. Dampen a clean cloth in clear water and run it over the leather to remove the residue or the alcohol and/or soap mixture. Run a dry cloth over it to dry the area completely. This will help prevent a residue from attracting dust and grime.

Suede

1. Apply a suede leather cleaner following the manufacturer's instructions. This will usually consist of using a clean cloth to apply liquid and dabbing the stain.

2. Allow the area to dry completely once the ink is removed.

3. Apply a leather conditioner to the area to help keep the nap of the suede soft.

4. If this process does not work, use a pencil eraser to erase the ink stain. This process will remove some of the layers of the leather and should be used sparingly so as not to make a hole in the dark brown leather.

Tips & Warnings

• Many people suggest using hairspray to remove ink. While this may work for some, the chemicals and fragrances in the hairspray can permanently damage your leather. Instead use rubbing alcohol.

• Always test a cleaning solution on a small inconspicuous part of your dark brown leather to test for colorfastness.

References

• How to Clean Stuff: How to Remove Ink Stains
• Real Simple: Removing Ink Stains from Leather
• Gomestic: How to Clean Ink Off of Leather